1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a computer readable program, system and method for enabling a user to output a report of estimated needed medical supplies based on a selected operational scenario. In addition, a computer readable program, system and method is provided for enabling a user to produce a query concerning relationships between patient conditions, tasks and medical supplies needed in specific locations/situations. The source code for the Estimating Supplies Program version 1.1 computer program of the present invention has been submitted on CD-ROM as Appendix A herein. The material on the CD-ROM is hereby incorporated by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional military operations, difficulty is frequently encountered in accurately estimating the medical supplies necessary to adequately supply military medical personnel in the field, especially in combat situations. Generally, Marine medical logistics planners determine which supplies are required by taking the expected number of casualties and comparing that to the notional total capability of each Authorized Medical Allowance List (AMAL) or Authorized Dental Allowance List (ADAL). This process has been found to be inaccurate and difficult, frequently causing over or under supply of vitally needed medical supplies. Oversupply causes unnecessary cost and burden, while undersupply causes inadequate care.
Thus, it is an object of the present inventors, representing the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC), to solve this problem by providing a computer readable program, system and method which enables a user to identify specific injuries and illnesses, and the corresponding system to determine the medical tasks required to treat patients with such specific injuries and illnesses (patient conditions), and supplies and equipment required to perform each task. To determine the amount of consumable supply requirements, a patient-generating model was used to project the frequency of specific injuries and illnesses likely to occur in a particular theater of operation.
It is a further object of the present invention to design a computer readable program, system and method capable of enabling a user thereof to query a database containing data concerning tasks, equipment and supplies needed in selected treatment locations (hereinafter “functional areas”), so as to enable the user to determine medical capabilities at selected sites and plan inventory therefor. These functional areas include triage, operating room, ward, etc.